Investigative Report on Lakeland City Manager Delayed

The report on an investigation into City Manager Doug Thomas and questionable hiring practices won't be made public until Friday, according to a lawyer for the city.

By JOHN CHAMBLISSTHE LEDGER

LAKELAND | The report on an investigation into City Manager Doug Thomas and questionable hiring practices won't be made public until Friday, according to a lawyer for the city.The city had expected to get the report Wednesday, but as of 5:30 p.m., the Tallahassee law firm doing the investigation was still finishing it, Assistant City Attorney Palmer Davis said. It then won't be made public until city commissioners review and finalize the findings.If commissioners determine no further investigation is needed, he said, then the report will be released to the public.The city hired the firm, Sniffen & Spellman, in March to look into testimony given to the State Attorney's Office by a former city human resources director Tommy Hamrick. Hamrick accused Thomas of ignoring repeated concerns from city staff members who complained about issues with former Police Chief Lisa Womack's hiring practices, the report said. The State Attorney's Office report questioned Womack's behavior when her nephew by marriage applied for a public safety aide's position, which he ultimately didn't get.Hamrick also accused Thomas of dissuading city staff members from documenting those concerns in public records.Thomas has denied the accusations and pointed out that Hamrick was described as lacking credibility by a lawyer who investigated complaints about Hamrick mistreating workers and retaliating against those who complained. Hamrick resigned Sept. 6 after those allegations were investigated.The investigation into Thomas' involvement is unusual, Davis said, because the City Commission as a whole is his boss."It's kind of a weird situation because typically you have a single agency or a department head," Davis said. "Sniffen & Spellman is working on behalf of the City Commission, not in lieu of them, and was not delegated the authority to unilaterally decide when the investigation is complete."That's why the report is not final until commissioners review it, he said.